Knowledge of tense semantics in early child Romanian

Author(s): Ioana Stoicescu / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2016

Previous research on the acquisition of tense semantics in child Romanian has demonstrated that typically developing Romanian-speaking three-year-old children have difficulties in the comprehension and production of the imperfect (an imperfective past), and the future (Stoicescu 2013). The present study investigates whether Romanian children have difficulties with the contrasts between the present, the perfect compus (a periphrastic past), and the future. The children obtained high scores for the present in both comprehension and production. In the comprehension of the perfect compus the children performed above chance. In the comprehension and production of the future, the results were significantly lower than chance. The study provides evidence that children have an understanding of the present-past contrasts at this early age, although not at the adult level.

On subject use in English as a second language

Author(s): Barbu Revencu / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2016

The present article addresses the issue of syntactic transfer in child L2 acquisition, by presenting a two-part study in which Romanian monolinguals are compared to Romanian-Hebrew balanced bilinguals in two spontaneous production tasks. The main research question concerns the influence of Hebrew as a second L1 on the (re)setting of the Null Subject Parameter in English-L2, as Hebrew exhibits the same subject and verb morphology pattern as English for certain persons and tenses. The collected data provide evidence in favour of both access to UG and syntactic transfer, supporting the Full Access Full Transfer Hypothesis.

Reviews

Author(s): Gabriela Anidora Brozbă,Veronica Tomescu,Mihaela Buzec / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

Sven Leuckert. 2019. Topicalization in Asian Englishes: Forms, Functions, and Frequencies of a Fronting Construction. London: Routledge. xiv + 221 pp. Reviewed by Gabriela Anidora Brozbă; Ursula Stephany & Ayhan Aksu-Koç (eds.). 2021. Development of Modality in First Language Acquisition. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. x + 593 pp. Reviewed by Veronica Tomescu; Sean Wallis. 2021. Statistics in Corpus Linguistics Research: A New Approach. Abingdon: Routledge. xiii + 355 pp. Reviewed by Mihaela Buzec.

VOM GLÜCK DER MEHRSPRACHIGKEIT: EIN POLNISCHER LINGUIST ÜBER SEINEN SPRACHERWERB DES RUSSISCHEN, ENGLISCHEN UND DEUTSCHEN

Author(s): Ingrid Hudabiunigg / Language(s): German Issue: 32/2023

The explorative study focuses on a Polish linguist whose academic stay abroad at the University of Vienna was deeply affected by the Solidarność movement in his home country. His involvement with a Solidarność foreign committee in Austria led to the revocation of his Polish citizenship and resulting statelessness. The hereby forced reorientation required mastery of German as a working language at the university (in addition to English), which he had not learned during his educational phases in Poland. The data were elicited through the introspection of the interviewee using the narrative interview. In the analysis of the transcribed interview excerpts, the stages of the life course and selfconstructed acquisition strategies of German as a second language within the political committee for Solidarność are traced.

Yabancı Dil Olarak Türkçe Öğretiminde Aslanın Krallığı Anadili Okuma Hikâye Kitabının Temel Seviyeye (A1-A2) Uyarlanması

Author(s): Selçuk Koç,Mustafa Arslan / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 31/2023

Teaching Turkish as a foreign language, which has received increasing interest in recent years, needs supplementary materials beyond textbooks. The necessity of preparing supplementary reading books that will meet this need has emerged. Creating reading materials especially suitable for students' levels will contribute to language teaching and a better understanding of Turkish culture. In the current situation, when teaching Turkish to foreigners in Turkey, the lack of reading materials suitable for the target language levels is noticeable. In this context, within the scope of qualitative research, the reading book titled The Kingdom of the Lion, which was prepared as a native language reading book, was transformed into a basic level reading book in a foreign language by using adaptation techniques. Each paragraph of the story is translated separately and shown in tables, using the simplification, expansion and simplification methods generally used in adaptations. According to the findings, it was concluded that preparing basic level (A1-A2) reading material for teaching Turkish as a foreign language could contribute to students' improving their reading skills and better understanding. It has been concluded that creating story books at appropriate levels for those learning Turkish as a foreign language will make a valuable contribution to language teaching practice.

Examination of the Post-Graduation Turkish Proficiency Levels of Secondary Education Students Learning Turkish as a Foreign Language: The Case of Iraq

Author(s): Mehmet Armağan,Doğan Yücel / Language(s): English Issue: 32/2023

This study aimed to evaluate the post-graduation language status of secondary school students learning Turkish as a foreign language in Iraq and to determine the factors affecting the progress or deterioration in their language levels, if any. For this purpose, the desired language status of these people; they were evaluated according to gender, age groups and professions. Factors affecting the progress and decline in language levels were determined and listed according to the degree of impact. The research was conducted with the quantitative research method and the design of the study is a case study. Information was collected by semi-structured survey method, and descriptive scanning and relational scanning models were preferred among general scanning models in the study. The sample of the study consists of graduates who learned Turkish as a foreign language in schools in the city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq between 1997 and 2022. A total of 414 people, 196 women and 218 men, participated in the research. The current language status of the participants and the factors that caused the improvement and deterioration of their Turkish language skills were determined according to the determined variables and the obtained values are; it was tried to be analyzed with the help of figures, tables and graphs. As a result, it has been observed that students who learned Turkish as a foreign language in Iraq reached a successful language level after graduation and improved their language skills at a significant rate after graduation. There are almost no studies on the language status of students who have completed their foreign language education, graduated and started business life. This makes this study very important and it will be one of the first important studies and resources in this field. More research needs to be done on the language status of students after graduation.

Noua revoluție în învățarea limbilor străine: puterea Inteligenței Artificiale și Educația 4.0

Author(s): Ana Maria Chisega Negrila / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 02/2023

This article explores the connection between artificial intelligence (AI) and language learning in the context of Education 4.0, highlighting how the former revolutionizes the latter with the introduction of emerging technologies and innovations in education. The article discusses how AI improves the processes of language learning through personalized learning experiences, interactive practice, and automated assessment. AI can be used to create diverse learning materials and immersive experiences that align with the principles of Education 4.0. When used correctly, AI can bring numerous benefits to language learning, such as increased efficiency, greater student engagement in the teaching-learning process, and the accessibility of content from anywhere and on any device. Additionally, it emphasizes the need to adopt Education 4.0 accompanied by the development of content that equips students with the necessary skills in the digital age. The article also highlights the importance of integrating AI and Education 4.0 in language learning to promote critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and digital literacy.

Digital Culture and Using Social Media Posts in Foreign Language Learning

Author(s): Irina-Ana Drobot / Language(s): English Issue: 22/2023

The purpose of the paper is to show how technology can be used to make attractive the learning of a foreign language. Social media posts about vocabulary in various foreign languages, for instance, as well as short conversational phrases, could be used to replace the traditional drill types of exercises. Videos that are present could be used to replace the traditional listening exercises. The social media posts could be used as additional material to what is used during class. It is assumed that social media is part of students’ lifestyle, and that learning foreign languages is adapted to modern life.

GAME-BASED LEARNING AND ITS APPLICATION TO FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING IN MONTENEGRO

Author(s): Igor Ivanović / Language(s): English Issue: 46/2023

This paper deals with some practical aspects of game-based learning (GBL) in terms of foreign language acquisition. The main premise of this paper is that game-based learning is inherently more suitable for language learning than a traditional classroom, since it is based on the concept of playfulness, which is an integral part of the personalities of virtually all learners and especially young learners. Therefore game-based learning can be used to remove the linearity and negative predictability of the traditional classroom paradigm and introduce a novel way of teaching students in Montenegro. Another benefit of game-based learning is that it can be applied to just about any subject in our schools and faculties with the caveat of first implementing appropriate adjustments to the curriculum design depending on the specific nature of the subject in question. First, we will introduce the concept of GBL, then provide an overview of the overall theories this paper is based on and introduce the outcomes of our GBL study with a game called Portal 2 and show how game-based learning can be practically applied to foreign language teaching and learning. Our study was designed to function as longitudinal research containing the Target and two Control groups with the aim of investigating whether gamebased learning can be an effective tool for foreign language learning. We found that GBL may provide an interactive and engaging environment that encourages active participation and immersion in the language, which helps learners develop their communication, vocabulary, grammar, and cultural awareness skills in a fun and motivating way.

La enseñanza del sistema numeral totonaco en el siglo XVIII: "El Arte de lengua totonaca" de Joseph de Zambrano

Author(s): Miguel Figueroa Saavedra,José Santiago Francisco,Manuel Galeote / Language(s): Spanish Issue: 38/2023

This article presents new contributions to the study of the Mesoamerican numeral and account systems in the missionary linguistics of New Spain. We analyze the fi rst description of the Totonac numeral system, found in Joseph de Zambrano’s grammatical treatise Arte de lengua totonaca (1752). Th is shows a diff erent and complex base-20 numeral system compared to the languages known and studied by Europeans at the time. Zambrano’s didactic work explains the expression of number and the commonalities and specifi cities of the use of several numeral classifi ers. In this respect, the decacentrism and Latincentrism that still guide this type of grammatical study in the eighteenth century is justifi ed as part of a linguistic tradition that considers the Graeco-Latin number as a model of arithmetic formulation. Taking this as a starting point, this work identifi es the bias consisting of explaining base-20 from a base-10 numerical system. Th is bias was justifi ed as an analogical resource that facilitated the learner’s understanding using familiar structures. Moreover, confronting the anomaly of the peculiar system – as seen from the European perspective –, the scholars of the time gave a new signifi cance to the existing descriptive language that eventually would allow them to understand and explain alternative forms of arithmetic expression.

Réduction De L’anxiété De Production Orale

Author(s): Sylwia Kalińska / Language(s): French Issue: 19/2023

Research has consistently shown that anxious language students suffer significantly during oral activities and that anxiety has a negative impact on students’ attitudes toward language study. The purpose of this article is to help practitioners better understand some of the variables related to anxiety and oral skills and to offer teachers methods to lower the levels of stress in their classroom through the use of anxiety-management tools and activities that encourage authentic communication within a warm and supportive community of learners.

Il rilievo della diversità degli stili di apprendimento nella didattica delle lingue straniere: realtà o “neuromito”

Author(s): Silvia Madincea Pașcu / Language(s): Italian Issue: 2/2023

In the acquisition process of foreign languages, each learner (child or adult) prefers a certain way of studying and learning which indicates one’s way of perceiving, interacting and responding to the stimuli used in class. Starting from the learning styles according to different traditional classifications (Dun & Dun: 1978, Grecorc: 1982; Kolb: 1984; Honey & Mumford: 1997, Sprenger: 2008 etc.), but also according to the various criticisms aimed at them (Dekker, Lee, Howard-Jones, Joles: 2012; Newton, Salvi: 2020), this paper highlights a number of teaching activities favourable to different styles for the involvement of each participant in a foreign language course. From 2012 onwards, learning styles are often referred to as "Neuromyths" as a student is unable to better acquire if taught in his or her preferred style. Reality or "Neuromyth", a single learning style should not prevail in a language class while the teacher should not be influenced by his own style of acquisition but stimulate different skills in students (listening, writing, speaking, etc.).

De la detaliu la întreg: despre construcția „firului narativ”

Author(s): CRISTINA URSU / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 4/2023

In this article, we intend to illustrate – in the universe of educational praxis – the mechanism of building a “narrative thread” through the natural arrangement of the concepts involved in a particular mental representation, aspiring to be as close as possible to the ideal. It is necessary to situate this process in a suite of contexts that allow the efficient solution of the formulated problem, considering that the solution is contained in its data.

Mario Aquilina, Bob Cowser Jr, and Nicole B. Wallack, Editors. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑔ℎ 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑦

Author(s): Gergana Kusheva / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2023

Uczeń z doświadczeniem migracji w polskim systemie edukacji – okiem praktyka

Author(s): Paulina Stasiowska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 359/2022

The aim of this work is to show the functioning of students with experience of migration in the Polish education system. The analysis of this topic is based on the use of the JES-PL method in teaching Polish as a second language in the context of working with foreigners. On this basis, it is possible to identify differences in the degree of learning the language of school education and in language proficiency, depending on the group in which the child came. Reflection on this theme is based above all on the activities of the teacher, the attitudes he adopts and the didactic knowledge used to adapt young people to the new socio-cultural reality.

Analiza motywacji chińskich studentów... studiujących w Delcie Rzeki Jangcy do uczenia się języków Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej

Author(s): Huiling Zhang / Language(s): Polish Issue: 359/2022

This paper aims to analyse the language learning motivations of Chinese students majoring in Central and Eastern European languages at universities in the Yangtze River Delta. Thanks to the cooperation of the People’s Republic of China with the countries of this part of Europe, this group of learners is increasing, while the Yangtze River Delta was an important place for the implementation of the Chinese initiative, therefore, getting acquainted with the motivations of students learning Central and Eastern European languages may be important for the education of future participants of global exchange. This research used a survey strategy. It turned out that the respondents had mainly internal motivations. External factors, such as the teacher, can have a positive influence on the development of motives. What is needed is a concern for those who have become less motivated during their studies.

Polskie szkolnictwo mniejszościowe... w multietnicznym środowisku czeskiego Śląska Cieszyńskiego

Author(s): Jiří Muryc / Language(s): Polish Issue: 359/2022

The present paper describes the linguistic situation in the Czech part of Cieszyn Silesia in the Czech Republic (the Zaolzie region) on the basis of the history and present condition of Polish minority education, which has a long tradition in this area. The author focuses on a general description of the linguistic situation while presenting a more detailed view of the contemporary condition of minority education in Zaolzie. He cites current student numbers and reflects, among other, on the problems and challenges faced by minorities in Polish schools.

Wspomaganie procesu adaptacji językowej dzieci z doświadczeniem migracji w nowej wspólnocie komunikacyjnej

Author(s): Marzena Błasiak-Tytuła / Language(s): Polish Issue: 373/2023

This article is devoted to the topic of organising the language adaptation of children with migration experience. In it, the author discusses early second language acquisition and the factors to be considered in supporting language adaptation. She focuses on the promotion of specific language skills, i.e., prosodic, lexical, and grammatical competence, as well as reading skills.

Märkamatu keeleõppe metoodika

Author(s): Tiina Rüütmaa,Merilin Aruvee / Language(s): Estonian Issue: 33/2023

Language acquisition is often more effective and motivational outside the classroom, as it allows the use of the target language in real life situations adding the aspect of relationship building and networking. A good way to improve one’s language skills is through leisure activities as it provides an opportunity to communicate with people with similar interests in a target language environment. However, in Estonia recreational activities are quite segregated. Within an interdisciplinary project course at Tallinn University the project "Unnoticeable Language Learning" (ULL) was carried out in 2019–2022. The main objective of the project was to develop a new language teaching strategie, which can be used to teach and learn Estonian unnoticeably in the course of some gripping recreational activity. The project also aimed to propagate the modern approach to language learning and increase native speakers’ consciousness in supporting language learners and to indicate the importance of non- and informal language learning. Tis article gives an overview of a design study of ULL which aims to articulate the ULL as well as to describe its development and testing. The participants of 2019–2021. ULL projects had to form groups, find a recreational activity to be used to teach Estonian unnoticeably to a target group, then to determine what activities and strategies could be used in order to achieve the objectives. First the participants learned about modern language learning methods to get some inspiration, most of it came from Total Physical Response, Natural Approach and Task-Based Language Learning. Next the activities were planned and tested on the target group, outcomes were documented and analysed. Whereas in the course of the 2022 ULL project the material of previous years was compiled, analysed and the ULL methodology was formulated and introduced via Facebook, seminars and website. The content of the ULL comes from (recreational) activity, it’s best suited to sporting activities (e.g., sports, exercise, hiking), but also works with other activities (e.g., cooking, crafing). Based on ADDIE model (Fink 2013) we formed five main stages in the ULL: 1) Analysing the needs of a target group and possibilities that activity has to offer; 2) Design of activities and language material, it is crucial to design language learning material based on activity, not vice versa, since the focus should be on doing; 3) Developing specific tasks and the use of language, in some cases also preliminary work with the target group, e.g. introducing language material before activities. At this stage, it is important to be aware of the learner's ability to acquire new language material in a certain period of time and the need to repeat the language material often enough. 4) Implementation – engaging activities on which the attention of learners is focused, while tutors are using the chosen language material. The most important keywords here are keeping the recreational activity in focus, visualisation of the language material (commands and presentation of their execution; clarification of the language material by means of physical objects or images) and adequate repetition. Feedback about the acquisition of the language material can be obtained by observing the development of learners (e.g. learners no longer need presentation of the execution of commands, they start using the learned words/phrases), but also in different types of feedback sessions (e.g. showing objects or images and having learners name names of objects, giving them the task of repeating activities on their own and commenting it in Estonian, Kahoot games). (4) Evaluation aims to direct the teacher to develop activities. ULL also assumes that supervisors are ready to make changes if needed: as experience learning ULL must be flexible. However, the tutor should always remember that the attention of learners focus must on the main activity, should under no circumstances shift to the language learning; the learner's ability to acquire new language material is limited; to be acquired unnoticeably language material must be repeated many times; the learner needs a lot of visual support and demonstration. Experiments carried out within the framework of the project showed that the ULL methodology works and can be used successfully in recreational activities by supervisors of recreational activities and coaches.

FACTORS FACILITATING AND HINDERING DEEP-LEVEL COLLABORATION BETWEEN SUBJECT AND LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN THE ESTONIAN CLIL CONTEXT

Author(s): Elena Samsonova,Aleksandra Ljalikova,Merilyn Meristo / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2023

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has been employed in Estonia and worldwide for decades. This methodology involves teaching academic subjects in a foreign or second language and enables learners to develop their subject knowledge, language skills and cognitive abilities. Oftentimes, both subject teachers and language teachers are involved in CLIL instruction, and its efficiency depends on collaboration between the educators. The study aims at pinpointing the factors that facilitate or hinder deep-level cross-curricular teacher collaboration in the Estonian CLIL context as well as the outcomes of such collaboration. The interviews with in-service teachers (12) who had taken part in a CLIL tandem teaching project allowed for the identification of 26 facilitators distributed across 7 levels (structural, personal, organisational, CLIL-, group-, process- and guidance-related) and 13 barriers distributed across 4 levels (structural, personal, organisational and group-related). The teachers perceived the collaboration as beneficial to them and their pupils, and the factors facilitating it were mentioned more frequently than hindering ones at all levels except the organisational one. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that the organisational level barriers should be primarily addressed while designing deep-level collaborative experiences for teachers.